All-Inside Arthroscopic Cancellous Allograft for the Large Cystic Osteochondral Defect of the Talus

CATEGORY: Arthroscopy; Sports; Trauma INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical technique and long-term clinical outcomes of all- inside arthroscopic treatment for large cystic osteochondral defect of the talus with the use of cancellous allograft. METHODS: Eight patients admitted from January 2016 to October 2018 by our hospital for large cystic osteochondral defect of the talus was retrospectively analyzed with their complete follow-up data. The subjects consisted of 5 males and 3 females, aged between 27 to 50 years, and with an average age of 34.2 years. All of these cystic osteochondral defects were larger than 15 mm in diameter, sized 1.3cm3 to 5.2cm3. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, The Karlsson Ankle Functional Score (KAFS) and subjective satisfaction survey rating were obtained. CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging of the ankle were obtained before and after surgery. RESULTS: All incisions were healed in the first stage, and no complications such as nerve, blood vessel and tendon injuries occurred. All patients were available for follow-up at a mean of 26.2 months (range, 18 to 48 months). By the last follow-up, the postoperatively AOFAS 、 KAFS scores were 86.5 and 84.2 compared with 60.8 and 59.3 preoperatively, respectively. And the mean VAS score decreased from 6.4 preoperatively to 1.1. The range of motion of the ankle joint was normal and returned to the pre-pain state for these patients. Six patients rated their result as excellent, 2 as good and none as fair. CONCLUSION: All-inside arthroscopic cancellous allograft was an effective option for the treatment of large cystic talus osteochondral defects.